Current Events
Last time we discussed…
•Biotic and abiotic parts of the
environment
•The Five Levels of Environmental
Organization
Today, keep this idea in mind…
Living
things
need
energy
BRAINSTORM
What is energy?
Thoughts:
•1
•2
•3
•4
•5
•Etc..
Sun!
Energy from
the sun exists
in every living
creature on
earth.
Ancient
peoples knew
the sun was
special for this
reason.
Quickwrite
Directions: On your quickwrite paper, write your
responses to these prompts
1. Why do you think so many ancient
civilizations worshipped the sun?
2. How did the sun influence their
lifestyle?
Mola Mola
“Ocean Sunfish”
Producers
Organisms that use
sunlight and air to
make glucose
sugar
(energy)
Photosynthesis:
The process that
producers use to
transform energy from
the sun into glucose
(energy)
Consumers
Organisms that eat
other organisms to get
energy
Herbivore:
A consumer that only
eats plants/producers
Carnivore:
A consumer that only
eats
animals/consumers
Decomposers
Organisms that eat
decaying organisms, or
waste, to get energy
After organisms die
there is still energy
stored within them
Decomposers break down
dead organisms and return
nutrients/energy to the
earth
“Nature’s Recyclers”
Omnivore:
Scavengers = Organisms
A consumer that eats
plants and animals
that get energy from dead
plants and animals, but
cannot break them down
as well as decomposers
Dung
Beetle
Scavengers also get energy from waste or
decomposing matter, but are considered to be
consumers- NOT decomposers.
Venus
Fly
Trap
Do not consider all plants to be producers;
some are carnivores, but none are omnivores
or herbivores.
Coyote
Grass
Vulture
Black Bear
Zebra
Algae
Bacteria
Mushroom
African Savanna Energy Flow
Consumers
(carnivores)
Consumers
(omnivores/c
arnivores)
Consumers
(herbivores)
Producers
(autotrophs)
Sun
energy
for life
Exit Slip
Directions: On your exit slip paper, please
respond to the following questions
1. Explain how is a food chain different from
a food web.
2. What is the role of a decomposer?
3. Energy is transferred between organisms,
but is never…
a. destroyed
b. lost in the transfer between organisms
c. gained by another organism